It's my birthday and I don't have to like it!

 The truth is....I don't really like celebrating my birthday.  Never have.  It's not an age thing.  My sister did a wonderful job of making sure I would forever be somewhat uncomfortable celebrating.  How did she manage this?  SURPRISE PARTIES!!!  Not one, or two....Every year from age 3 to 8 she would plan, scheme, and execute the torturous event.  She would gather every child in our family laden neighborhood.  Some of my friends, mostly kids I had never laid eyes on.  I guess after the second year in a row of me screaming like a panic stricken sissy at a horror show I mistakenly thought she would give up.  Oh no!  This reaction, I have come to realize, after many self help books and too much Dr. Phil was like heroin to her.  She delighted in watching me panic, scream, cry and run and hide under my bed.  I did this every time, without fail.   So...I thank all well wishers.  I honestly appreciate the sentiment.  I hold my breath praying no one jumps out at me wearing the dreaded party hat.  I will leave you with this.  This is the book my mother lovingly bought me, age 8 to try and do some damage control.

Today is my birthday and on this auspicious occasion I would like to quote my all time  favorite author, Dr. Seuss.This is from a book I had as a child, "Happy Birthday To You"

If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you. If you’d never been born, well then what would you do? If you’d never been born, well then what would you be? You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree! You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes! You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes."

"Or worse than all that…Why, you might be a WASN’T! A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t. A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present. But you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!" "Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive...

...who is you-er than you! Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am! Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam! I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be! If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”